The slip road built by the National Roads Authority and Westmeath County Council to divert traffic away from Kinnegad would appear to have been a tremendous success. It passed the bank holiday weekend test with flying colours and there were few or no delays there.
Things, however, were not so good around Moate, where delays were experienced. But a number of interested parties in the Midlands are hoping to turn traffic difficulties to their advantage over the next few years.
Shannon Development and Offaly County Council know that high-season tourism traffic will almost double over the next five years if Ireland meets its tourism targets.
With more than eight million tourists forecast for 2004, and with Ireland's "honey-pot" tourist locations already experiencing regular traffic logjams, they argue that it makes sense to plan for a broader spread of the benefits of tourism.
This was the thinking behind the "En Route 2000" project which has been successful in attracting EU funding to investigate alternative routes through what is now being dubbed "The Mid-Ireland Area".
Mid-Ireland, it appears, is the area between the two main traffic arteries, the N6 Dublin/Galway road and the N7 Dublin/ Limerick/Shannon/Killarney route. The two authorities believe they can lure tourists off the main drags and develop tourism in a sensible and sensitive way.
They want to build on the momentum created by projects such as the designation of Birr, Roscrea and Tullamore as heritage towns; the opening of the Birr Castle Science Centre and the Tullamore Dew Heritage Centre, and the success of the Slieve Bloom Environmental Park.
A survey of more than 5,000 visitors to the area during the summer season is planned, and tourists will be asked to indicate the routes they had taken or planned to take and give reasons why.
There will be additional surveys at selected entry points to the State, to measure awareness of "Mid-Ireland".
The surveys are expected to be completed early in the new century and then, following consultation with all parties involved, routes will be drawn up which should attract more visitors to this largely unspoilt part of the State.